From the bestselling author of Billie B Brown and Hey Jack! comes a magical new series about a wayward witch and a feelings monster that will make your heart squeeze with happiness.

About the book

Released June 2017
Hardback
ISBN 9781760129019
RRP AU$19.99

Written and illustrated by Sally Rippin, Polly and Buster: The Wayward Witch and the Feelings Monster is the first book in a brand new series for children aged 7-10 years.

If Polly and Buster walk past each other in the street, they never say hello. After all, whoever heard of a witch being friends with a monster? But every day after school, she climbs to the top of their tree and calls out, ‘Awroooooo!’ And Buster always comes. Yet one day, Polly and Buster’s schools go on an excursion to the same gallery on the same day, and things go horribly awry. When their secret friendship is exposed, Polly must make the hardest decision of her life.

All she’s ever wanted is to fit in and be a great witch… but is she willing to lose her best friend for it?

About Sally Rippin

Sally Rippin was born in Darwin but grew up mainly in South-East Asia. She has a very clear memory of herself as a child. She remembers the trials, the treasons, the tribulations, as well her lovely childhood friendships. Perhaps this is the reason she is the successful author and illustrator of over 50 published children’s books, many of them award-winning, including two novels for young adults.

Her most recent books include the bestselling Billie B Brown early reader series and its recent spin-offs A Billie B Mystery, Billie’s Adventures and Hey Jack! series. These are quality stories with characters that have struck a chord with children, their parents, teachers and librarians alike, cementing Sally’s position as one of Australia’s biggest selling children’s authors.

Advance praise from Hardie Grant Egmont staff

‘Sometimes a friendship just grabs you by the heart and squeezes hard – and Polly and Buster’s magical connection is one of them. This is a story that will resonate with teachers and parents everywhere, and that children will treasure on their shelves for many years to come.’—Annabel Barker, Managing Director

‘Sally’s new series makes me wish that I was eight years old again! Polly and Buster is just heart-meltingly beautiful. It’s been a joy to see Sally effortlessly distil what her young readers are navigating in the real world – exclusion, prejudice, intolerance – into a story brimming with adventure, love and gentle humour.’—Marisa Pintado, Publisher

‘I’m so excited to see Polly and Buster make their way into the hands and hearts of readers. Sally’s exploration of kindness and friendship through both her words and her own stunning charcoal illustrations has conjured up an entirely magical new world for children.’—Penelope White, Managing & Design Editor

Author interview

How did you develop such a love of reading and books?

We moved around a lot as kids because of my father’s work, especially throughout South-East Asia. To keep us busy, my mother would give us books to read. No matter where I was, geographically, physically or emotionally, the books I read over those years often had the power to reach me in a way that nothing else could. A good story could enter my heart and show me the world from inside someone else’s skin. It could help me understand myself, and even help me feel less alone in the world. A good story could become a true friend.

How did your childhood experiences influence the creation of Polly and Buster?

When I was young, my mother used to take people in. Throughout my whole childhood, on any given day, I could come home from school and there would be somebody’s toddler in the bath because their mother wasn’t coping, or an old neighbour at the kitchen table whose family had abandoned him. Sometimes these people were bright and cheerful and enhanced our childhoods, others were broken and damaged by life, and we knew to be gentle around them. To my mother, everyone deserved kindness, no matter how life had shaped them and she would often say, ‘It’s easy to love people who are loveable, but it is the unloveable ones who need it the most.’

For me, this is probably the most important line in the whole of Polly and Buster’s story and it is spoken by Buster’s mother, who takes in broken monsters and cares for them.

What do you hope readers take away from Polly and Buster?

Because of his mother, Buster has grown up knowing only trust and kindness, but is beginning to understand that the world is not always a fair or friendly place. Polly’s mother, however, is more concerned about what other witches might think of her than whether life is kind or fair.

Adults often forget how challenged we are as children, working out who we are, what we believe in and how difficult it is to develop as our own people in the world, separate from our families or the lessons our parents have taught us, for better or for worse. This is the time I am fascinated to explore in my work—the moment where you realise that you might be different to everyone in your family, and sometimes even everyone around you, and that this is OK.

My hope for Polly and Buster is that my readers will see themselves in the story, and understand that no matter how confusing or frightening the world may seem and despite all the crazy, bad things that grown-ups seem to do all around them, kindness and integrity always win out in the end. And also, if you are lucky, it doesn’t matter how wonky or different or unloveable you may think you are, there will always be someone in the world who will love you.

Reading copy giveaway

Be one of the first to read Polly and Buster: The Wayward Witch and the Feelings Monster! For your chance to win one of five copies, email your details to ilkatulloch@hardiegrant.com with ‘Polly and Buster’ in the subject line. The first five people to email will receive a copy.